To Prevail Against the Enemy

People today don’t believe Satan exists or don’t take him seriously. But he is a real enemy, and we need real armor to overcome him.

Have you ever read the book The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis? In this satire Lewis fictionalized an ongoing correspondence between a rather inexperienced demon named Wormwood and his mentor, Uncle Screwtape.

On pages 32 and 33 Screwtape counsels Wormwood on an important strategy Wormwood was using to lead a Christian astray: “My Dear Wormwood, I am amazed that you should ask me whether it is essential to keep the Christian in ignorance of our existence. That question, at least for the present phase of the struggle, has been answered for us by the Master Himself [Satan]. Our policy, for the moment, is to conceal ourselves…

“I do not think you will have much difficulty in keeping the patient in the dark. The fact that ‘devils’ are predominantly comic figures in the modern imagination will help you. If any faint suspicion of your existence begins to arise in his mind, suggest to him a picture of something in red tights, and persuade him that since he cannot believe in that, he therefore cannot believe in you.”

We need to expose the devil for who he really is. This knowledge can give us the backbone to stand up to the devil and his schemes designed to rob us of our reward.

No enemy can be resisted effectively unless we focus on what power he actually has and does not have. Three common errors concerning the devil are: (1) people do not believe he exists, and that is a mistake; (2) people do not take him seriously, and that is a mistake; or (3) they surrender to his control and that is the worst mistake. To get him in focus, let’s first look at what he isn’t, and then examine what he is.

What the devil is not

The devil is not a nobody. He exists and is engaged in an aggressive strategy of persuasion. He also is not a comic character. He is not an imp with horns and a pitchfork, dressed in red tights.

Furthermore, he is not all-powerful. His power is formidable, but God limits his power. His influence is pervasive but not omnipresent.

What he is
Satan truly is alive and hard at work on planet earth. He is invisible, deceptive, very experienced and shrewder than any human. Serving under him is a power structure of demons ready to do his bidding. His work is wicked. His strategy is to lead into disaster those humans who can be persuaded to follow him. But although he is the god of this world, he is limited in his authority. And as Christians, we have no reason to feel afraid, victimized or intimidated as long as we remain close to our Protector—God (1 John 4:3-4 [3] And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
[4] Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

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In Mark 5 we see one of the most vivid and gripping portraits of evil in the entire Bible. The first person we meet in the opening verses of this chapter is the devil’s prisoner (Mark 5:1-5 [1] And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.
[2] And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
[3] Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:
[4] Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.
[5] And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.

See All...). This graphic picture is hard to look at. The man was demon-possessed—hopelessly and helplessly under the domination of demonic powers. His body was so controlled by satanic influences that it was merely a base of operation for the demons. Even his vocal chords were under their control (Mark 5:6-13 [6] But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,
[7] And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
[8] For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.
[9] And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.
[10] And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
[11] Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.
[12] And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.
[13] And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.

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It is interesting to note how much these demons knew. They knew that Jesus was the Son of the Most High God and that His power was greater than theirs. They knew their final destiny (the abyss, Luke 8:31And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.
See All... and Revelation 20:2-3 [2] And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
[3] And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

See All...) and when they were to be sentenced to that place (Matthew 8:29And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
See All...). That proves that understanding and belief do not make one righteous. “Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?” (James 2:19-20 [19] Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
[20] But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

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Strategy for standing firm

Ephesians 6:10-18 [10] Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
[11] Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
[12] For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
[13] Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
[14] Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
[15] And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
[16] Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
[17] And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
[18] Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

See All... gives us an excellent strategy for standing firm against the schemes of Satan. “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
See All...). Even if only one piece of armor is missing, Satan will see where you are vulnerable and attack at that place.

To overcome the enemy, we first need to put on the full armor of God. That armor includes truth to help us withstand Satan’s deceptions, which lead to sin, to misplaced priorities and to disbelieving God. Truth, found through studying the Holy Bible, refocuses us and motivates us. The belt of truth also reminds Christians to live lives of honesty and integrity.

Next God’s armor includes the breastplate of righteousness. Doing the right things we learn from God’s Word protects our hearts and consciences from being seared by habitual sin, one of Satan’s strongest traps.

The armor also includes the sturdy shoes of the gospel of peace. The good news of God’s plan provides a firm foundation and motivation to spread the gospel and share it with others—an important step in God’s plan to defeat Satan’s kingdom.

The shield of faith protects against Satan’s fiery darts of doubt and confusion, and the helmet of salvation focuses our minds on the goal we are headed toward. This protects us from the detours and traps Satan sets up for us.

The sword of the Spirit—the Word of God—is the only offensive weapon. It provides the ammunition we need in each situation, if we keep it sharp through constant use.

After putting on all this armor, we need to resist the enemy through the power of God. Peter tells us to cast “all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith” (1 Peter 5:7-9 [7] Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
[8] Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
[9] Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

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Thirdly, we need to walk in faith by the Spirit of God. Paul described this in Galatians 5:16-25 [16] This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
[17] For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
[18] But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
[19] Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
[20] Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
[21] Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
[23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
[24] And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
[25] If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

See All.... By avoiding the works of the flesh and growing the fruits of the Spirit, we can walk in Jesus’ steps.

A winnable war
I will close with a final word from Uncle Screwtape, which should encourage us to remember that we are fighting a winnable war.

“Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger than when a human no longer desires but still intends to do our Enemy’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys” (page 40).

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
And that is what Job said: “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
See All...). That may seem “irrational,” but that is the way we need to be because present physical circumstances are a poor indicator of what we should do in a severe temptation.

We need to ask God to help us be more like Jesus, with the ability to quote Scripture when we are under temptations (Matthew 4:1-11 [1] Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
[2] And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
[3] And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
[4] But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
[5] Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
[6] And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
[7] Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
[8] Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
[9] And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
[10] Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
[11] Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

See All...). Then ask God to help us develop a good set of spiritual armor, without which we cannot stand against such an adversary as the devil. And pray for the day when Satan will be removed “so that he should deceive the nations no more” (Revelation 20:3And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
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Recommended reading

To learn more about our adversary and how to defend against him, request or download the booklet Is There Really a Devil?